15 Best Children’s Books About Paris

If you are trying to get your kids to read, you may be baffled to know where to start. If they already read, you may have additional goals to help their education or broaden their interest.

Getting them to learn a little about other cultures might be one of them. Paris is a popular city for vacations. Considering its popularity, it is a good starting place to get them to learn about the world.

Rather than a boring encyclopedia or documentary, why can’t you entertain them with picture books? This list will get them reading and make them want to learn about the vast world where we live.

Best Children’s Books About Paris

1. Madame Martine by Sarah S. Brannen

Author: Sarah S. Brannen

Reading Level: Grades Pre-K to 2

This book is about an older lady called Madame Martine. She is a Parisian refusing to go up the Eiffel Tower believing it’s “a tourist thing.” She loves sticking to the same routines even down to her meals.

One day, she adopts a stray dog and tries to continue the same routine with him. When he breaks free from her, she chases him until they reach the top. Finally, she sees beauty she’s never seen before! This leads the pair to do something new every week.

what readers say:

Reviews on Amazon praise this book for its artwork. The message moves both kids and adults alike. Readers are reminded to appreciate the things around them and try new things.

The whole family will be entertained by this book. It’s created for dog lovers. If your children liked this book, why not check out Madame Martine Breaks The Rules?

2. Anatole

Author: Eve Titus

Reading Level: Grades K to 3

Mice are trouble in real life. In fiction, they are fun instead. Anatole, a mouse, is stunned to learn humans hate it when mice take scrapes from their leftovers. He is driven to find a new way to provide for his family.

In turn, he goes to the tasting room of the Duvall Cheese Factory. He leaves small notes on each of the cheeses and signs his name. When the Duvall factory’s workers find his notes, they are confused.

Realizing Anatole’s talent, they take his advice and become the best cheese makers in Paris. They even want to give him an award. Sadly, they can’t find him.

what readers say:

This book has a five-star rating on Amazon and a sequel called Anatole and the Cat. This book is a classic that tells kids to give to others rather than take from them. Anatole is a respectable character whose adventures need to be shared with the next generation.

See Related: Best Desserts in Paris to Try

3. Different Like Coco

Author: Elizabeth Matthews

Reading Level: Grades 2-6

If you want to introduce your kids to historical characters, this is one to consider. Gabrielle or “Coco” Chanel is one of the most influential fashion icons of the 20th century.

This biography tells how Coco, a poor girl, learned how to sew at an orphanage. She began making clothes for herself, using her creativity rather than wealth to look wonderful. 

What readers say:

This biography for children has a four-star rating on Goodreads. This rags-to-riches story shows kids they don’t have to fit in the crowd to be happy. It shows the value of being unique while showing kids their differences should be celebrated.

The drawback of this is the fact that it excludes Chanel’s suspected collaboration with the Nazis, but you can learn more about Chanel on the internet.

4. Madeline

Author: Ludwig Bemelmans

Reading Level: Pre-K to Kindergarten

This book is another one to introduce children to the classics. There are seven books in this series. Madeline is the smallest of twelve little girls who go to a boarding school in Paris. Her journey of sickness and recovery has been remembered for generations.

what readers say:

If you didn’t read this in childhood, it’s time to now. This picture book is still loved by adults all these decades later, so it has stood the test of time.

See Related: Best Travel Books About Paris: Must-Read Guides

5. Kiki & Coco in Paris 

Author: Nina Gruener, Stephanie Rausser (Photographer)

Reading Level: Pre-K to 3

This story might be relatable if your young girl has a favorite doll or toy. Rather than the cartoonish illustrations of most children’s books, this story is illustrated by photography.

The main character, Kiki, and her doll, Coco, are inseparable friends. They even get to visit Paris. Sadly, they are separated. Will they see each other again?

What readers say:

Reviewers loved this book, but the hardcover version is better because the Kindle version’s font is too small. Otherwise, it’s worth checking out.

If your little girl loves dolls, this picture book was inspired by a doll created by Jess Brown as well as Stephanie Rausser’s photography. You can buy one of her dolls at jessbrowndesign.com.

See Related: Best Parks in Paris to Visit

6. Mission Paris: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure(Travel Guide for Kids)

Author: Catherine Aragon

Reading Level: Grades 3-5

If your family is taking a trip to Paris, this book will get them excited about the places they will tour. You may have planned scavenger hunts for Easter, parties, and other events for kids, but this book does it for travel.

They will get to explore different sites and have fun at the same time. They will look for clues, discover the stories behind famous landmarks, and practice some French. 

What readers say:

The problem with this book is the formatting of the text according to reviews on Amazon. The text was small and formatted in a way that didn’t allow for breathing room. Aside from that, it has good ratings. 

7. Adèle & Simon

Author: Barbara McClintock

Reading Level: Pre-K to 3

When Adèle picks up her younger brother, Simon, from school, he has his hat, gloves, sweater, scarf, coat, knapsack, books, crayons, and a picture of a cat he drew that morning. Adèle makes him promise not to lose anything.

As they walk home, distractions make Simon leave something at every stop they make. What will they tell their mother?

What readers say:

The end of the book has footnotes about the sites the two visit. You have to take a close look at each page to find the items Simon lost, so this book will take longer to read aloud than similar books. Other than that, this book is a fun, wonderful read.

8. Charlotte In Paris

Author: Joan MacPhail Knight and Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Reading Level: Pre-K to 7

By 1892, Charlotte’s family had lived in the famous artist colony in Giverny, France for a year. To their amazement, Charlotte gets an invitation to an exhibition in Paris featuring famous paintings by Mary Cassatt.

Charlotte gets to eat at a cafe on the Champs-Elysees, see a marionette show in the Tuileries gardens, and celebrate her birthday at the Eiffel Tower. 

What readers Say:

This book has illustrations of reproductions of art by Degas, Monet, Cassatt, and others. If your child loves art, this book will be a treasure to them. It’s the sequel to Charlotte in Giverny. 

9. Mirette on The High Wire

Author: Emily Arnold McCully

Reading Level: Pre-K to 3

Mirette’s captivated by the guests in her mother’s boarding house. Nobody gets her attention like the mysterious stranger arriving one day who turns out to be Bellini, a master wire walker.

Mirette didn’t know this, or that he stopped out of fear. It is she who must teach him the courage to perform again. 

what readers Say:

This book’s art style mimics paintings, and the theme is about facing your fears. This book is interesting to kids, but older readers won’t buy the plot of an apprentice teaching a master to overcome the fear of doing their talent.

There is a sequel where Mirette and Belina travel to St. Petersburg if you’re looking for a book set in Russia. You can order a copy of Starring Mirette and Bellini on Amazon.

See Related: Top 10 Free Museums in Paris

10. Mira’s Diary: Lost In Paris

Author: Marissa Moss

Reading Level: Grades 4-7

This is the first in a series called Mira’s Diary, as the name implies. Mira misses her mother who mysteriously disappeared. One day, she gets a postcard with familiar handwriting.

After all that time, her mother was alive! Thinking her beloved mother had abandoned them, Mira, her father, and her brother search for her in Paris.

When Mira visits Notre Dame, she touches a gargoyle sculpture and is swirled into the past. She then learns her mother never left them, but is instead, trapped in the past. Will she be able to save her mother?

What readers Say:

This story has themes to appeal to people of different tastes. Kids get a taste of history, romance, and art. They explore the Dreyfus Affair, a part of French history many Americans are not familiar with.

The horrors of Anti-Semitism are one of the main themes of this tale because that’s a major part of the Dreyfus Affair. Goodreads gives this story a four-star rating, making it worth your time.

Meanwhile, reviewers say the book leaves questions about the plot unanswered, and some of the characters could have been better developed.

11. Who Was Marie Antoinette

Author: Dana Meachen Rau and WHO HQ

Reading Level: Grades 3-7

This is another biography-style chapter book for kids focused on the last queen of France. It starts when she leaves Austria, her home country, to go to France to marry future King Louis XVI. She must get used to French culture and a new life in Versailles.

Her lavish lifestyle is still talked about today from the wigs she wore to the expensive balls. The lower class blamed Marie Antoinette for their poverty and anger flared within the masses. The French Revolution not only cost her her life, but it also ended the monarchy. 

What Readers Say:

This is just one book in a series made by WHO HQ. WHO HQ has published other child-friendly books on historical figures that will keep your kids reading for a while. If your kids loved Who Was Marie Antoinette, perhaps they would be interested in the book about Joan of Arc.

12. A Whale in Paris

Author: Daniel Presley, Claire Polders, and Erin McGuire (Illustrator)

Reading Level: Grades 3 to 7

A Whale in Paris is written for kids who like sea creatures. In this WWII-based story, Chantal and her father won’t let the German occupation of France stop them from going out to fish in the evenings. Therefore, they visit the Seine river.

Tonight, Chantal wants to catch a salmon, but instead, she finds a new friend: a whale. This adorable, young animal is lost but friendly. Chantal names him Franklin after the American president who sent troops to save her country. 

Franklin soon finds himself in danger from two sides. The starving French people want to eat him, and the Nazis want to give him as a gift to Hitler.

Together, Franklin and Chantal embark on a hard journey for freedom and safety. Will Franklin return to the ocean to his family? Will Chantal see her family again? 

What readers say:

I found this book on Bookroo and found the premise interesting. Readers shouldn’t expect it to be realistic, but it does cover the theme of hardship.

Chantal struggles with the German occupation of France, hunger, and the imprisonment of her parents. Kids will get a glimpse of the hardships of the times. 

See Related: Best Weekend Trips from Paris, France

13. The Family Under The Bridge

Author: Natalie Savage Carlson and Garth Williams (Illustrators)

Reading Level: Grades 3 to 7

Old Parisian Arnold loved his quiet life alone. He likened children to starlings (a kind of bird) believing he was better off without them. This changes when he meets three children, Suzy, Evelyn, and Paul, as well as their mother.

He hesitantly shares his space under the bridge and they soon become like a family. Seeing the bridge is not good for them, he is set on finding a better home.

what readers say:

A story of an elderly man who changes is a good premise for the Christmas theme, but some won’t like the morality of the man. Arnold isn’t awful, but he repeatedly lies to everyone including the kids.

The idea of a homeless man choosing to live on the streets out of choice rather than circumstance also doesn’t make sense to the adult reader in the way it was portrayed. It gives children the impression that homeless people are not hard-working.

Furthermore, the children’s mother is discriminatory against Gypsies. 

The two adult characters in this book are not good moral examples. That’s to be expected of a book from the 1950s.

13. Secret Letters From 0 to 10

Author: Susie Morgenstern

Reading Level: Middle Grade and Up

Ten-year-old Ernest lives a life that’s flat and colorless. He does the same things all the time. Daily, he comes straight home after school, eats a healthy snack, and does his homework. Then, Victoria, his new classmate, comes along.

She falls in love with him from the start disrupting his life. To Ernest’s surprise, he likes it. Little by little, color gets into the world He learns it can be full of friendship, adventure, and change. This novel shows the subtle ways people can affect each other.

what readers say:

Despite being written for kids, some reviewers noticed themes that seemed more suited to preteens and older people. Other than that, this book seems hard to put down.

14. Dodsworth in Paris

Author: Tim Egan

Reading Level: Grades 1 to 4

Dodsworth and his nutty friend, a duck, visit the City of Lights for the first time, and they are ready for an adventure. They see mimes, painters, and beret wearers.

They climb the Eiffel Tower, and the duck finds this bent-over guy ringing bells for a living. It’s a great vacation in Paris, except for the mischief the duck causes.

what readers say:

This story is also in a series. Dodsworth goes on adventures to Tokyo, London, and other places around the world throughout the series.

This story is fun to read aloud for the whole family and remains popular among kids’ travel books.

15. The Eiffel Tower Incident

Author: Sir Steve Stevenson and Stefano Turconi (Illustrator)

Reading Level: Middle Grade

“Red Rose.” Those are the last words uttered by a Russian diplomat before he was killed at the Eiffel Tower. With those words as a clue, Agatha and Dash search for a murderer hiding in the busy streets of Paris. 

This chapter book is part of a series called The Agatha, Girl of Mystery Series. It is compelling for a child and an adult. If you’re looking for a short book to read over a weekend, this one should be on your list.

You should add the first book, The Curse of the Pharaoh.

Related Resources

• Top Paris Restaurants with a View of the Eiffel Tower
• Best Hotels in Paris St. Germain
• Best Catholic Churches in Paris, France

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